NPDN and SPDN Workshops

• Hodges, A., D. Jenkins, A. Segarra, and C. Estevez de Jensen.  2009.  Twenty-three participants attended a 3-day Scale Insect Identification Workshop in Mayaguez, Puerto Rico.  Most of the participants were attendees from the University of Puerto Rico, USDA-ARS, and USDA-APHIS-PPQ.
• Hodges, A.  2008.  Twenty-five participants and speakers attended a 3-day Mite Taxonomic Training Workshop.  Attendees from both Land Grant Universities (LGU) and USDA-APHIS-PPQ were present.  Attendees included individuals from the following states:  Alabama, Arizona, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Maryland, New York, South Carolina, and Texas.
• Hodges, A. and S. Ratcliffe.  2008.  A 2-part national ‘How to Conduct First Detector Training’ distance education course was conducted on October 14 and 16, 2008.  Each training session was approximately 2 hours in length.  The training included information about multi-agency partnership opportunities for conducting First Detector training and developing associated educational materials.    In total, 90 locations joined the training on Day 1 (October 14, 2008) and 75 on Day 2 (October 16, 2008), excluding speakers.  Thirty-two U.S. states and the District of Columbia participated in the training session (Tables 1 and 2).  Attendees primarily included individuals from Land Grant University Cooperative Extension, USDA-APHIS-PPQ, USDA Forest Service, and State Departments of Agriculture. Click Here for  full summary report including results from a post-workshop survey.
• Hodges, A., J. Gillett, J. Develario, T. Friday, and A. Palmateer 2008.   First Detector Educator In-Service training conducted in Gainesville, Milton, and Homestead, Florida. A 4-hour training that focuses on conducting First Detector training, submitting samples to DDIS and Florida’s diagnostic clinics, and IPM resources for educational programming.  A portion of the training was held through Polycom, and then hands-on components of the training occurred at individual locations.  Approximately 50 participants attended the training.
• Hodges, A., J. Gillett, G. Allen, M. Main, A. Silaygi, J. Cuda, K. Langeland, and C.Harmon 2007.   First Detector Educator In-Service training in Haines City, Florida, for Florida Master Naturalist Program Educators. A 4-hour training that focuses on conducting First Detector training, submitting samples to DDIS and Florida’s diagnostic clinics, and IPM resources for educational programming.  Training accommodated approximately 10 participants.  CD-Rs distributed.
• Hodges, A., J. Gillett, and A. Dodd 2007.   First Detector Educator In-Service training in Palm Beach, Florida. A 4-hour training that focuses on conducting First Detector training, submitting samples to DDIS and Florida’s diagnostic clinics, and IPM resources for educational programming.  Training accommodated approximately 15 participants.
• Hodges, A., J. Gillett, and S. Shives 2007.   First Detector Educator In-Service training in Balm, Florida. A 4-hour training that focuses on conducting First Detector training, submitting samples to DDIS and Florida’s diagnostic clinics, and IPM resources for educational programming.  Training accommodated approximately 15 participants.
• Hodges, A. and L. Osborne 2007.  Florida Thrips Landscape Ornamental Workshop.  A 1-day workshop that focused on the field identification, lab screening, and management of thrips in Florida’s landscape. Training accommodated 30 participants including county extension agents, landscape professionals, and industry.
• Hodges, A.C. and J. Morse.  2007.  SPDN Invasive Arthropod Workshop.  May 7-9, 2007 in Clemson, SC.  Training accommodated approximately 60 participants.  Key diagnostic information on invasive pests of concern to the southern region was presented to a diverse audience of Land Grant University and USDA-APHIS-PPQ personnel.  CD-Rs distributed post-conference at multiple venues.
• Hoenisch, R., G. Watson, C. Thomas and A. Hodges.  2006.  A 4-day training workshop on ‘Homoptera’ for the Western Plant Diagnostic Network (WPDN) will be held in Davis, CA.  30 participants from throughout the U.S. (primarily western region) attended.
• Hodges, A. C. and E. Day.  2006. A 4-day training workshop on Coleoptera, particularly long-horned beetles, bark beetles, and leaf beetles, was held in Blacksburg, VA.  The target audience included land grant university entomology diagnosticians and extension specialists throughout the southern region.  National taxonomic experts from various institutions will lead the training.  Thirty participants will be accommodated.
• Momol, T., and A. Hodges.  2006.  A 2-day In-Service training workshop ‘Updates on High Risk Plant Diseases and Hemipteran Pests of Concern to Florida’ for county extension agents, crop consultants, Master Gardeners, graduate students, and other plant management professionals. Approximately 21 participants attended.
• Funderburk, J., G.B. Edwards, L. Osborne, and A. Hodges. 2006 A 2.5 day ‘Thrips Sampling and Identification Workshop.  Approximately 20 participants attended from Florida, Georgia, Alabama, and Louisiana.
• Hodges, A., E. Buss, L. Osborne, and J. Gillett. 2005.  A 3-hour Polycom Videoconference training session on Chilli Thrips.  Approximately 45 participants from 15 locations (including two out-of-state locations) attended.
• Braman, K. and A. C. Hodges.  2005.  A SPDN First Detector Training at the Southern Nurserymen’s Association Annual meeting in Atlanta, GA.  Approximately 50 nurserymen and county agents from the southern region attended training.  Participants received information about the SPDN, sample submission, exotic pests of concern, common insect and disease problems in the landscape, and information on pesticide safety.
• Hodges, A.C.  2005.  A 2-day workshop on the Pink Hibiscus Mealybug, Maconellicoccus hirsutus . Participants were provided with a 132-page training manual, a CD with the slide mounting video and taxonomy-related powerpoint presentations, a voucher slide set of 17 species, and a microtool set for slide mounting.  Participants were trained on field identification, the USDA’s pheromone trapping program, other control-related information, slide mounting, and taxonomic identification.  Twenty participants from various university or government organizations in the following U.S. states/countries attended:  Alabama, Arizona, Bermuda, Cayman Islands, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Mexico, Michigan, New Mexico, Panama, Texas, Utah, and Virginia.  The majority of participants were extension specialists or general diagnosticians.  Workshop survey responses were extremely favorable on all topics, and many participants highlighted the value of enhanced taxonomic skills and networking gained at the workshop.
• Hodges, A. C. 2005.  SPDN First Detector Training was conducted as part of Florida’s SART (State Agricultural Response Team) training.  The plant breakout session of this training was SPDN, First Detector training.  The plant breakout session was coordinated and co-organized in conjunction with the SART Training Committee.  Individuals received information on the mission of the NPDN/SPDN, quality and secure sample submission, and exotic pests of concern to Florida.  Palmetto, Belle Glade, and Tallahassee, FL.
• Hodges, A. C.  2005.  SPDN First Detector Training.  Individuals working in the landscape Industry received 3 hours of training on the mission of the NPDN/SPDN, quality and secure sample submission, and exotic pests of concern at the annual GGIA (Georgia Green Industry Association) meeting in Athens, GA.
• Hodges, A. C.  2004.  ‘Homoptera’ Workshop:  Specialized Taxonomic Training for Entomologists.  An intensive, 3-day taxonomic training workshop designed primarily for general diagnosticians and extension entomologists in the SPDN region.  Eight national taxonomic experts led the training.  Thirty-one participants from the University of Georgia, Syngenta, Texas A&M University, Texas Cooperative Extension, USDA-APHIS, University of Florida, University of Puerto Rico, Auburn University, Cornell University, USDA-CSREES, Rutgers University, Mississippi State University, University of Kentucky, Clemson University, and the Republic of Korea attended.  Participants were provided with approximately 1000 pages of training material.Taxonomic keys developed for the training are available as a workshop online in the December 2005 issue of the Florida Entomologist.
• Mannion, C., A. Palmateer, and A. Hodges.  2004. SPDN First Detector Educator Training, and a UF/IFAS In-Service training program.  Approximately 15 county extension agents, Master Gardeners, landscape professionals, and agricultural inspectors were provided information about the NPDN/SPDN and biosecurity concerns, proper sample handling and submission, common insect and disease pest problems in the Florida landscape, and exotic pests of concern to their region.  Homestead and Palmetto, FL.
• Hodges, A. C.  2004.  SPDN First Detector Educator Training.  Approximately 40 agricultural inspectors from throughout the southern region were provided information in a 4-hour training program about the NPDN/SPDN and biosecurity concerns, proper sample handling and submission, common insect and disease pest problems, and exotic pests of concern.  This program was held at the annual Horticultural Inspection Society-Southern Chapter meeting in Baton Rouge, LA.